Easy German Schnitzel Recipe {From a German!} - Plated Cravings (2024)

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Schnitzel pan-fried to golden perfection with a crispy breading just like at your favorite German restaurant! This easy step by step recipe shows you how easy it is to make the best Schnitzel at home.

Being German we sure love German food like our Black Forest Cake, German Apple Cake, or Vanillekipferl.

Easy German Schnitzel Recipe {From a German!} - Plated Cravings (1)

Easy German Schnitzel

Making Schnitzel at home is easier than you think! One of my favorite foods growing up in Germany was probably Schnitzel with Fries. You can get it in every restaurant but my Grandmother made the BEST Pork Schnitzel ever. Today I want to share all the tips and tricks!

A traditional German or Wiener Schnitzel should be golden brown and have a crispy breading with bubbles. Yes, air bubbles! This is very important – the goal is to get as many air-filled bubbles between the meat and the breading as possible after frying.

What is Schnitzel?

A schnitzel is a thin piece of meat that is coated in a breading and pan-fried in butter or oil. There are many variants made from different meats like pork, chicken, and veal.

What is Wiener Schnitzel?

Wiener Schnitzel is traditionally made from veal cutlet and originates from Austria.

Easy German Schnitzel Recipe {From a German!} - Plated Cravings (2)

What cut of meat is used for Schnitzel?

For Schnitzel you want to use a boneless cut of meat. You can use boneless pork chops for German Schnitzel, boneless veal chops for Wiener Schnitzel, or chicken breasts to make chicken schnitzel. I often buy the fast fry version that is already pretty thin and only needs a little bit of pounding and just make smaller schnitzel.

How to Make Schnitzel

Making Schnitzel at home is a lot easier than you might think.

  1. Pound the meat as thin as possible without making any holes in it. (see photos above for reference)
  2. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Drench through some flour.
  4. Drench through the egg mixture.
  5. Turn schnitzel in the breadcrumbs.
  6. Fry until golden.
  7. DONE

To pound the Schnitzel, use a meat pounder, tenderizer, or a small pan. Always use the flat side and not the raised side because the little holes in the meat will make it drier.

Easy German Schnitzel Recipe {From a German!} - Plated Cravings (3)

How to Fry Schnitzel

Schnitzels are shallow-fried instead of deep-fried. That means they are not submerged in fat but only swim in about a finger deep of fat.

Traditionally Schnitzels are fried in clarified butter which is called Butterschmalz in German. This gives you the great taste of butter combined with a high smoke point. Normal butter will not work in this recipe, because it has such a low smoke point.

You need to use about 1/2 inch of oil in the pan so the schnitzel cooks evenly and can ‘swim’ in the pan. It is also important that the fat is not too hot, the perfect temperature is 320-340F (160-170C) otherwise the breadcrumbs will burn.

Easy German Schnitzel Recipe {From a German!} - Plated Cravings (4)

What to serve with pork schnitzel

Always serve Schnitzel with a slice of lemon to squeeze over the hot Schnitzel and ketchup on the side.

Starchy sides: Fries, German potato salad, German Spaetzle, or tater tots make a great side dish.

Vegetable sides: Green salad, German Cucumber Salad, or coleslaw.

You can also serve schnitzel with a mushroom sauce which is called Jaeger Schnitzel.

What do to with leftovers?

Store leftover schnitzel in an airtight container in the fridge. They keep for a few days and taste great cold. My favorite thing to do is to make a schnitzel sandwich.

Easy German Schnitzel Recipe {From a German!} - Plated Cravings (5)

Tips for making the BEST Schnitzel

  • Pound meat until it is super thin about 0.2 inches or 0.5 cm. The thinner the better!
  • Don’t press the schnitzel into the breadcrumbs otherwise, you won’t get air bubbles.
  • Immediately fry the Schnitzels! Don’t let them sit.
  • Use enough fat or oil in the pan! 0.5 inches or 1.5 cm – about the thickness of a finger.
  • Clarified butter is best tastewise! Check out my easy recipe here. Taste-neutral Vegetable oil with a high smoke point can be used too. Add a Tbsp of butter to the oil for taste.
  • Make sure the fat is hot before you put the schnitzel in the pan! Drop a breadcrumb in the pan, if it sizzles it’s hot or use a thermometer (340F is perfect).
  • Don’t overcrowd the pan because the temperature of the fat will drop when you put the schnitzel in!
  • Only turn the Schnitzel once!

Tools used to make this Recipe
Meat Pounder: Using a meat pounder makes it so easy to get the meat to the right thickness.
Frying Pan: I love this brand for pots and pans.

Easy German Schnitzel Recipe {From a German!} - Plated Cravings (6)

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5 from 22 votes

Schnitzel

By: Julia Foerster

Schnitzel pan-fried to golden perfection with a crispy breading just like at your favorite German restaurant!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless pork chops, or more if small
  • Salt, to season
  • Pepper, to season
  • 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dried white breadcrumbs
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tbsp cream or milk
  • Clarified butter, or vegetable oil and 2 Tbsp of butter
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

  • Place the pork chops on a cutting board and put a large piece of clingfilm over it and pound with a rolling pin, large knife, or mullet to about 0.2 inches (0.5cm) without making holes in it. Season with salt and pepper on each side. Repeat with the other pork chops.

  • In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs lightly with the cream. Put flour on a plate and the breadcrumbs on another.

  • Dip each schnitzel in the flour on both sides, then drench through the egg mixture, and lastly turn in the breadcrumbs until evenly covered but don’t press the schnitzel in the mixture.

  • In a large frying pan, heat 1/4-inch oil or clarified butter (about the thickness of a finger) over medium heat until a breadcrumb sizzles and quickly browns. If using oil then add 2 Tbsp butter to the pan, it will foam a bit.

  • Drop escalopes in the pan (depending on the pan you have to cook the schnitzel in batches) and cook until golden brown on the bottom about 2-4 minutes depending on the size, then turn over and cook until the other side is golden and the schnitzels are done about 1-3 more minutes.

  • Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to quickly blot the excess oil, then immediately serve garnished with a lemon slice.

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 229IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Categorized as:
German Recipes, Main Dishes

About Julia Foerster

Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch, with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions.

Read More About Me

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Easy German Schnitzel Recipe {From a German!} - Plated Cravings (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil for pan frying schnitzel? ›

I would also recommend using grapeseed oil for searing because it has a high smoke point and we want to make sure the breading doesn't burn. Once you flip the schnitzel, you can add a tablespoon of butter to finish and give it that extra flavor!

What is German schnitzel made of? ›

A schnitzel (German: [ˈʃnɪt͡sl̩]) is a thin slice of meat. The meat is usually thinned by pounding with a meat tenderizer. Most commonly, the meat is breaded before frying. Breaded schnitzel is popular in many countries and is made using veal, pork, chicken, mutton, beef, or turkey.

Is it better to cook schnitzel in butter or oil? ›

The best way to cook chicken schnitzel is to fry it. I like to use a combination of oil and butter for the best flavor/crispiness combination. When cooking chicken schnitzel, you need to heat the oil and butter in a frying pan until it is bubbling hot, then add the schnitzel. It should sizzle as it hits the pan.

What kind of pan is best for schnitzel? ›

Fortunately for schnitzel, pan-frying is a faster, cleaner way to fry and requires less oil than traditional deep-frying. Use a deep, straight-sided skillet or cast iron pan to fry, which will keep splatter to a minimum.

Is olive oil good for schnitzel? ›

However, you'll still need to grease the pan with a little olive oil — it'll add flavor and keep the chicken from sticking. Chicken breasts are cut in half lengthwise and flattened with a meat mallet until they're about ¼-inch thick.

Why put schnitzel in the fridge before frying? ›

Place into the fridge, uncovered, for one hour before cooking. This step dries the breading and ensures it will stick perfectly to the meat during the frying process. As long as you fry in hot oil, it will come out perfectly crispy with all of its breading intact!

How do Germans eat schnitzel? ›

Schnitzel is often eaten plain with just a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice, but can also be served with a creamy mushroom gravy which is known as Jägerschnitzel.

Why do Jews eat schnitzel? ›

Originally brought from Europe to Israel by Ashkenazi Jews, schnitzel instantly became a hit. During the early years of the state of Israel, veal was not widely available, so chicken or turkey became a substitute. Nowadays, the meat used is generally chicken or turkey breast to keep it kosher.

What is the secret of schnitzel? ›

Clark reckons the secret to great schnitzel is to "trap air in the crust when you cook the meat by moving and shaking the pan".

What is schnitzel called in America? ›

schnitzel, a thin meat cutlet, pounded until tender and then breaded and fried, that is a culinary staple in German-speaking countries and communities. The Americanized version of the dish is chicken-fried steak.

What country invented schnitzel? ›

The history of schnitzel starts in Austria

The dish quickly spread throughout Austria and Germany, and became a staple of traditional German and Austrian cuisine. It was often served with potatoes, cabbage, or other hearty side dishes, and was a popular choice for family meals and celebrations.

How do you get the breading to stick on a schnitzel? ›

Dip egg-coated chicken in breadcrumb mixture. Gently press on with fingertips to secure.

How do you get breadcrumbs to stick to schnitzel? ›

Popping the crumbed food in the fridge for 15 minutes before frying will also help the crumbs to stick to the meat. Make sure that your oil is hot enough before you add the crumbed meat to the pan.

What's the difference between wiener schnitzel and schnitzel? ›

Basically, all schnitzels are breaded and fried thin pieces of meat, but only wiener schnitzel is made with veal. Cooking term: Schnitzel is a cooking term used to describe any meat pounded thin, then breaded and fried. Key ingredient: Schnitzel is made with pork, chicken, beef, or veal.

Can you fry schnitzel in vegetable oil? ›

Heat Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 4 to 5 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.

What is the healthiest oil for cooking schnitzel? ›

Heart-healthy oils like safflower oil and rice bran oil are perfect because they can withstand frying temperatures of almost 500° F. You can also look to peanut oil and sunflower oil if you're frying at 450° F, or canola oil and vegetable oil to keep temperatures around 400° F.

What oil do you use to fry breaded chicken? ›

Think vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. Don't use olive oil or butter—they both have lower smoke points. The ideal temperature for frying chicken is 350˚ to 365˚, and you'll want to make sure that you bring the oil back to temperature between batches.

How do you keep schnitzel from sticking to the pan? ›

First, use a properly seasoned cast iron skillet or a non-stick pan with an unblemished surface. Second, unless frying something that already contains fat (like bacon) use enough cooking oil with a high burn point, such as canola. Third, don't use too high a heat.

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